Generate Source Code

Generating source code (forward engineering) takes the UML Class or Interface model elements and creates a source code equivalent for future elaboration and compilation. By forward engineering code from the model, the mundane work involved with having to key in Classes and attributes and methods is avoided, and symmetry between model and code is ensured.

Topics

Topic

Detail

See also

Languages

Enterprise Architect supports code generation in each of the following languages:

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Action Script

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C

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C# (for both .NET 1.1 and .NET 2.0)

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C++ (standard, plus .NET managed C++ extensions)

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Delphi

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Java (including Java 1.5, Aspects and Generics)

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PHP

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Python

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Visual Basic

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Visual Basic .NET

Elements

Code is generated from Class or Interface model elements, so you must create the required Class and Interface elements to generate from.

Add attributes (which become variables) and operations (which become methods).

Settings

Before you generate code, you should ensure the default settings for code generation match your requirements; set up the defaults to match your required language and preferences.

Preferences that you can define include default constructors and destructors, methods for interfaces and the Unicode options for created languages.

Languages such as Java support 'namespaces' and can be configured to specify a namespace root.

In addition to the default settings for generating code, Enterprise Architect facilitates setting specific generation options for each of the supported languages.

The Code Template Framework (CTF) enables you to customize the way Enterprise Architect generates source code and also enables generation of languages that are not specifically supported by Enterprise Architect.

The tools provided by Enterprise Architect for code engineering and debugging are available in the Professional, Corporate, Business and Software Engineering, System Engineering and Ultimate editions of Enterprise Architect

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When security is enabled there are permissions for Generate Source Code and DDL and Reverse Engineer from DDL and Source Code